William and the Girl From the 21st Century
by Antamaurora Silvalanda
Summary: Henriette, a girl from the 21st century, finds herself transported in time to 1776. There, she makes the acquaintance of Colonel William Tavington. As years go by, Henriette remains unaware of the horrific acts Tavington commits among the people of South Carolina. Will Henriette learn who Tavington really is or will she see past him? And will this romance lead to tragedy?
1. Chapter 1

**June 20, 1776**

Colonel William Tavington stood down by the river, holding up a small mirror and giving himself his weekly shave. He was looking a bit rugged lately. The smell of blood and gunfire still lingered in the air, but he did not let this disturb him. The forest was pretty quiet that morning. In fact, it was almost _too_ quiet. This should have been the first sign to Tavington that something was about to change. He looked around, studying the stillness of the atmosphere. Those damn Patriots could be anywhere. He was not afraid of them, but recently he had be informed that 20 British soldiers had been attacked by an unseen figure. Based on the description, Tavington thought this "unseen figure" sounded more like a ghost, but did not believe such nonsense. It had to have been a man. There was no other way to explain it. Still, it troubled him. He went back to shaving his face, trying not to think about the demons of this place. Little did he know was that he would soon be visited by a lady. An _unusual_ lady. A girl from another time period, far different than the one he was living in.

 **June 20, 2015 - Present Day**

Henriette, a 20 year old, brown-haired girl, sat alone in her bedroom. She was lying on her bed reading _Julius Caesar_ by William Shakespeare. Just outside her door, she could hear her parents starting to engage in a fight. They had been getting into a lot of arguments over the past few months, though to Henriette, it seemed like years. It was always a battle with them. They were never happy with each other. So why did they bother living together?

Henriette set her book down on her nightstand and reached for her CD player. She picked up her headphones and placed them over my head, hoping to block out the noise. She pressed the " _Play_ " button on the side and her ears were welcomed by the song _Given and Denied_ by Poets of the Fall.

Henriette picked up her stuffed lion doll named Celie and asked her, "What am I going to do, Celie?" The inanimate lion toy did not respond.

Henriette looked over at her wall and eyed the flag of the United Kingdom hanging up on her wall. She didn't know what it was, but there was always something about the British culture that fascinated her. Henriette rested her head back on the pillow behind her and hugged Celie close to her chest. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, wishing someone would take her away from this awful place. Henriette listened to the song dance around her head until she drifted off to sleep.

Two hours later, Henriette was woken up by a bright light shining inside her room. She opened her eyes and turned her head to the right. At first, Henriette thought she was dreaming, for what she thought was a light, turned out to be a huge gaping hole surrounded by a bright blue light. A wormhole!

She sat up slowly, not taking her eyes off the wormhole, or realizing that Celie had rolled onto the floor. Henriette took the headphones off her head and threw her legs to the side of her bed. She stood up and walked over to the wormhole, cautiously. She slowly reached her hand for it, but then backed away. She wasn't exactly sure where this thing would take her. But to enter into another dimension, a different time period? It sounded scary, but it also excited her. Henriette looked at her bedroom door and thought about this situation. What would her family think if they discovered she was gone? Henriette knew they would be worried sick if she never returned, but for as long as she could remember, Henriette had always taken care of her family, that she almost never did anything for herself. This was probably her only chance to escape from this hellhole she was living in. Making up her mind at the last minute, Henriette decided to go through the portal.

What happened next, Henriette couldn't even begin to describe. She felt as if her whole body was on fire and being pulled forward by some great force, almost like she was traveling through space and time. There was a flash of light and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**June 20, 1776**

Henriette woke up with a start and started breathing heavily, wondering what the heck just happened. It took her a minute to realize she was lying on the ground. Moving her fingers, Henriette felt the earth beneath her hands. She tried standing up, but lost her balance and fell back down. She gasped and her breathing quickened. She was still quite shaken by that little "time travel" experience. Somehow, it wasn't as pleasant as she thought it would be.

Henriette tried standing up again, slowly but steadily. When she finally managed to stand on her legs, Henriette looked around the area and realized she was standing in the middle of a forest, but she still had no idea where she even was. All she knew was that it was starting to get dark and the sound of thunder in the distance meant that there was a storm coming. If only she knew there was more than just a storm coming.

Henriette tried not to panic and decided to try and find her way out of there before nightfall. Her body started shivering from the chill in the air, so she rubbed her arms together, hoping to keep warm. The air was so cold, Henriette could almost see her breath right in front of her. To make matters worse, it started raining.

The rain started pouring down hard and all the British soldiers had taken cover in their tents. All except for one. Colonel Tavington sat upon his horse overlooking the field, letting the tears of nature run down his face and breathing in the clean, crisp air through his lungs. The rain certainly was a nice exchange from all the dry weather and infernal heat he had been experiencing for the past three weeks. It reminded him of his old home back in England. Half a year ago, Tavington had sailed with His Majesty's men to America to take control over the rebellion after the war broke out. He had hoped to achieve victory for England, as well as a bit of glory for himself through his brutality and ruthlessness. People thought he was a reckless man, only because they did not know the real man behind the mask of evil.

The truth was that Tavington was not always the cold-blooded monster everyone thought he was. If anything, Tavington was quite a respectable man. He also had a fondness for living things. The plants. The animals. The weather. It gave him a sense of peace and tranquility. Sometimes it was nice for him to recluse himself from everyone and enjoy the beauty of nature. It was humanity he hated. Whether it was his fellow Britons or the Americans. His reputation with English society, however, was hanging by a thread even as he knew it.

Colonel Tavington was snapped out of his thoughts when something in the distance caught his eye. He could have sworn he saw a body moving near the edge of the woods. For whatever reason, Tavington decided to investigate the scene. When he arrived near the edge of the forest, he noticed there was a person lying on the ground. A young woman, by the looks of it. Tavington dismounted from his horse and ran over to her to see if she was alright. He kneeled down and turned her body over. The first thing Tavington noticed about her was her peculiar clothing. A pale pink shirt with short sleeves and blue trousers made from some strange soft material. She had no shoes on her feet. She didn't look like she belonged with the Patriots. He didn't even know whether she was British or American.

Tavington placed a hand on her neck, checking for a pulse. She was still breathing.

Tavington rode back with the girl to his campsite and carried her into the medical tent. He set her down carefully on a bed and waited until a doctor was available for her. Tavington did a quick examination on the girl to make sure she didn't have any injuries. She wasn't hurt, but her body was drenched from head to foot and her skin was cold as death. The girl moved a bit and started moaning in pain. Tavington placed a hand on her forehead. Her head was burning up.

"Miss, can you hear me?" Tavington whispered softly to her. The girl slowly opened her eyes and tried focusing on the handsome man next to her, but her vision was too blurry, she couldn't even make out a face. Her head was in so much pain, her mind couldn't register anything at all, not even to whom that voice belonged to. All she could do was surrender herself to the darkness.

Several hours later, Henriette woke up and found herself in an unfamiliar room. The room was dark and quiet, and she was a little surprised to find herself lying in a warm bed. She had no memory of how she got here. Someone must have found her and brought her to wherever she was now.

"Are you alright?" Asked a man's voice.

Henriette turned her head to the right and saw the silhouette of what looked like a man. She couldn't see his face. Henriette tried to move away, but the man placed his right hand on her left shoulder and spoke to her, "Don't be afraid. You are in no danger here."

The soothing sound of the man's voice seemed to calm Henriette down a bit. And although she could not see his face, she felt safe knowing she wasn't alone.

"...Where am I?...What happened to me?"

"You are at the refuge of Fort Carolina. You were discovered not too far from the British encampment-"

Henriette tried to understand what this man was saying, but her head started pounding and felt like it was on fire. She put her right hand on her forehead and felt the fever was on her. Henriette closed her eyes and a quiet sob escaped from her lips. She moved her hand to try and hide her face as hot tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her face. She hated people seeing her cry. Not only was it embarrassing, but it also made her look and feel like a fool.

"Calm down", said the man, placing his right hand on her right wrist. "You mustn't over excite yourself."

Hneriette sniffled in reply and tried to calm herself down. The man moved her hand away from her face and placed it across her chest. Henriette kept her eyes closed as he lightly dabbed her forehead with a cold wet rag. She shivered as the wet cloth made contact with her skin, but at least it helped to tame her fever.

"Tell me your name", said the man.

"Henriette", the girl spoke, weakly.

"Henriette", the man repeated, using the rag to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Henriette turned her head back to him and tried opening her eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked him.

"My name is Colonel William Tavington."

Those were the last words she could remember before sleep claimed her again.


	3. Chapter 3

**June 21, 1776**

Henriette woke up the next morning to the sunlight shining through the window. She opened her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. Her fever had finally died down. She sat up slowly and looked around the room. The room was small but decent, and had very little furnishings.

Henriette heard commotion coming from the outside and looked to her right towards the window. She threw the blankets off of her and placed her feet on the floor. She walked over to the window and looked outside. At first, she was a little confused, for it appeared to her that she was either in a military fortress or a mansion of some kind. The building was surrounded by a wooden gate. Hundreds of men stood in straight lines, each of of them wearing a red coat and carrying a musket.

 _What the heck is going on_? Henriette thought to herself.

A knock at the door caused her to gasp in fright. She tensed up and turned her head to the left, towards the direction of the door.

"Who is it?" Henriette asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"It's Colonel Tavington, my lady."

 _Tavington_? Henriette thought to herself. She didn't know anyone by that name. But then, all of a sudden, everything came rushing back to her. Tavington was the name of the man who had spoken to her the other night. He was her rescuer.

"Oh", said Henriette, sounding a little relieved. "Come in."

The door opened and a man entered into the room. He looked about 32 years old. His eyes were bright and pure as silver. His long dark brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, surrounded by a black cloth. His clothing consisted of a red and green coat with gold buttons, black trousers, and polished leather boots. He looked like something out of the 18th century.

"Good morning", said Tavington.

"Hello", said Henriette, softly. She gazed upon the man who saved her life and looked at him as though he were an angel.

"I trust that you are feeling better", said Tavington.

Henriette nodded her head. "Yes, thank you."

Tavington walked over to Henriette and took hold of her hand. He brought it to his lips and placed a tender kiss upon it.

Henriette was flattered by this gesture. She didn't know who he was, but he treated her like a real gentleman, and those were very hard to find nowadays.

"I, um...I guess I owe you an apology for my behavior the other night", said Henriette, modestly.

"You have nothing to apologize for", said Tavington. "But I am afraid you are not properly dressed."

Henriette looked at herself and realized her modern day clothing. She looked back at Tavington, his cold grey eyes studying her light brown one. Feeling exposed, Henriette covered her chest, despite being fully clothed.

"I...I guess I am a bit under dressed", said Henriette, wishing he hadn't noticed.

"Fear not", said Tavington. "I have arranged a gift for you."

At that moment, two maids, a short blonde and a tall brunette, entered into the room. One of them was carrying a huge box. Henriette walked over to them and opened the lid. Inside, she found she was given a dark green dress to wear.

"Oh, my gosh. It's...It's beautiful."

"You'll need it to look presentable when I introduce you to General Lord Cornwallis."

Henriette looked at Tavington with confusion. "Who?"

"My commander."

Henriette pulled the dress out of the box and held it up to her chest, letting it drape onto the floor.

Tavington turned his back to give Henriette some privacy and looked out the window. Henriette walked over to a corner of the room so he wouldn't see her change. The two maids followed her and set the box down on her bed. Henriette pulled her pale pink T-shirt over her head and said, "Colonel Tavington? Can I ask you a question?"

"As you wish", said Tavington.

"What year is this?" Henriette asked him. She unhooked the clamp on the front of her black lace bra and tossed it carelessly to the side.

"What do you mean?" Tavington asked her.

"I mean what _year_ is it?" Henriette asked him again. She unhooked the button on her jeans and pulled them down along with her panties. She then let the maids help her into the dress.

"The year is seventeen hundred and seventy six", Tavington answered her. But in the back of his mind, he was thinking, _How could she not know what year this is?_

The maids placed the dress over Henriette's head and helped slip it onto her. Henriette pulled her hair out from the back of the dress and gave Tavington a look of disbelief. "1776? And you said this was Fort Carolina?"

"Yes, I did", said Tavington, matter-of-factly.

"Where is that? In South Carolina?"

"Of course."

 _I knew it_ , Henriette thought to herself.

"Forgiven me, Henriette, but do you really not know where you are?"

"No", Henriette moaned, as the short blonde maid was tying the back of her dress. "Ow!"

The maid gasped. "Sorry, miss."

"That's okay", said Henriette, putting her right around around her waist.

"Are you alright?" Tavington asked her from over his shoulder.

"That depends", said Henriette, taking a deep breath.

The maids finished helping Henriette with the dress and left. Colonel Tavinton turned around and looked at her, admiring how stunning she looked. Yet there was still something about her that he could not understand.

Henriette looked in the box again and found she was also given a pair of black flat shoes. She tried them on as Tavington walked over to her.

"You don't remember, do you?"

Henriette looked at him and stood up straight. "What?"

"You remember your name, and yet you do not know where you are or what year it is?"

The thing was that Henriette _did_ remember, she just didn't know how to delicately explain to Tavington that she wasn't from this exact time period. One wrong word out of her and she feared she would alter the timeline. Or worse.

Henriette lowered her head and turned her back to him. "I forget things, okay?"

Henriette picked up her jeans and pulled out a silver ribbon from one of the pockets. She used it to tie her long brown hair into a low ponytail. Most women would have had their hair pinned up during that time, but Henriette didn't this.

"Henriette", said Tavington.

She turned around and looked at him. He wanted to say something to her, but seeing the hurt in her eyes, he thought it best not to upset her. This girl, he thought, knows so much, and yet she knows so little. He didn't know who she was or where she came from, but he still wanted to help her.

"You must have really been through something, haven't you?", said Tavington.

Henriette lowered her head. _You have no idea_ , she thought to herself. She still remembered the whole "time travel" thing and could not forget about it. She was uncertain about her future and wondered if she would ever return to her present time period again. Until then, she was stuck in 1776 South Carolina, a time during the American Revolutionary War.

"No matter", said Tavington, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come."

Henriette followed Colonel Tavington down the stairs and down a long hallway. He stopped outside the doorway of a huge room and turned to Henriette.

"Wait here", said Tavington. "I will inform you when we are ready."

Henriette nodded her head in agreement.

Tavington walked into the room and presented himself to his superior.

"Good morning, my lord. Glorious day for His Majesty."

"Yes, indeed. Well, Colonel, we've heard all about your mysterious lady. Where is she?"

"Come now. Don't be shy." That was Henriette's cue to show herself.

She peeked into the room and saw, aside from Tavington, that there were three other men in there. They all looked the same to her. Well, almost. There were two men with white hair and another one with brown hair. The man sitting behind the desk, with white hair tied back in the same style as Tavington's, was none other than Lieutenant General Charles, Lord Cornwallis. To Henriette, he seemed rather pompous, but he was a good and civilized man. The other man, whose white hair was short and curled on both sides, was Cornwallis' second-in-command, Brigadier General Charles O'Hara. And the man with brown hair, whose hair was tied in the same style as Tavingon and Cornwallis, was Tavington's second-in-command, Captain Bordon. Strong and silent, he was.

Henriette felt nervous as she walked up to them. She stopped in front of the desk and gave a crusty to General Cornwallis, as a sign of respect. General Cornwallis' two boarhounds looked up at her and made menacing growls. Henriette didn't seemed to noticed them.

"Well, my dear", said Cornwallis. "You gave us quite a fright. You're lucky Colonel Tavington found you when he did."

"Well, you see, sir, I-"

But Henriette could not finish her sentence, because at that moment, the two boarhounds started barking madly at her, causing her to scream and jump back in fright.

"Jupiter! Mars! Heel, boys!" Cornwallis shouted at his pets.

Henriette sighed in annoyance. She liked dogs, but she hated it when they did stuff like this.

She looked at General Cornwallis and held up her left hand. "That's okay, sir", she said. "I think I can handle this." She took two steps towards the barking dogs and pointed a finger at them.

"Sit! Both of you! Down!" Henriette yelled at them. The black one, named Jupiter, sat down at once, while the black and white one, named Mars, remained standing and continued barking at Henriette. "DOWN!" Henriette yelled again. Mars backed down this time. He lied down on the rug and made a whimpering noise.

The room went silent for a few seconds. The gentlemen were shocked and very surprised to see how a lady like Henriette managed to control the dogs. It was completely out of place, yet somewhat fascinating.

Henriette bent down on one knee and made a gesture with her index and middle finger, signaling the dogs to come toward her.

"Come here", said Henriette, calmly.

Jupiter was the first to follow. Mars remained sitting in his place.

"Come on", said Henriette, signalling him.

Mars stood up on his feet and walked over to her.

Henriette patted both dogs on the head, and gave each of them a hug.

"You have beautiful dogs, sir", she said to Cornwallis.

"Thank you. They are a gift from His Majesty, King George of England."

"Oh?" Said Henriette. "How gracious of him." She rose up and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. Jupiter and Mars went back and lied down on the rug.

"Please, sit down", said Cornwallis. Henriette took a seat opposite from him.

"Forgive me, but I'm afraid I don't know you name", said Cornwallis.

"My name is Henriette. Just Henriette."

"What is your family name?"

 _My family name_? Henriette thought to herself. She didn't feel comfortable revealing that information to him. Or anyone for that matter. She _hated_ her last name.

"I don't remember", Henriette lied.

"You cannot remember or you do not wish to reveal it", said O'Hara. Henriette thought he was a complete snob for even asking her that. She looked at Tavington, her eyes searching for an answer. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and said nothing. Henriette looked back at Cornwallis and O'Hare.

"It's complicated, sir. You see, I can remember certain aspects about my life, but...up until now, I can't seem to remember much."

"Well, how old are you, my dear?" Cornwallis asked her.

"I am approximately 20 years of age."

"In what year were you born?"

 _Oh, damn_! Henriette thought to herself. _How am I suppose to answer that?_ Henriette did a quick calculation in her head. Math wasn't really her strong suit, but she couldn't tell them what year she was actually born in.

"In...1756, sir", Henriette answered. She was afraid her answer sounded more like a question, but Cornwallis did not notice.

"What about your family?"

"They're dead, sir", Henriette lied to him. "They were all killed by savages." Henriette looked away in disgust. "Filthy heathens. There's no room in this world for their kind."

"I am sorry for your loss", said Cornwallis.

"What would a woman be doing wondering in a forest in the first place?" Said Captain Bordon.

"Captain, I beseech you from-"

Henriette cut off Colonel Tavington's words and spoke to Captain Bordon in a calm voice.

"I've been wandering around for quite some time now. Ever since my family was murdered, I've been traveling from one place to the next. I have no other living relatives. Therefore, I have no place to go. I am on my own in this world."

Captain Bordon believed Henriette's story, but eyed her suspiciously. Henriette turned her attention back to Cornwallis and O'Hara.

"And your nationality?" Said O'Hara.

"I am an American, but I belong to no political party. Although, if I had to choose, I'd rather stay with the British."

"Than you are you a Loyalist?" Tavington asked her.

Henriette looked at him and said, almost annoyed, "If by 'loyalist', you mean an American like myself who prefers to stand by the United Kingdom, than take a side with idiots in this God-forsaken dirty country, than yes, I am a Loyalist."

General Cornwallis and General O'Hara looked at each other and than back at Henriette.

"There are many things about my country that I'm not proud of", she said. She looked back at Cornwallis and O'Hara. "And I fear it will only get worse for them in the future."

General O'Hara whispered something into General Cornwallis' ear. As they were engaging in a private conversation, Henriette glanced over at Captain Bordon and he gave her a sly smile. She looked away and kept her head down. Colonel Tavington put his left hand on her right shoulder, trying to comfort her. Henriette looked up at him and stared into his eyes. _Don't be afraid_ , they seemed to say. Henriette gave him a slight nod of her head.

"Very well then", said General Cornwallis.

Henriette and Colonel Tavington turned their attention back to him and Tavington took his hand off of Henriette's shoulder. She wished he hadn't.

"If what you say is true, than I see no reason why I can't grant you sanctuary. You are welcome to stay."

Henriette blinked in surprise. "You mean it, sir?"

"Of course, you will have to work for your wages-"

"Oh, no, no, no, sir. That won't be necessary. I'm more than happy to do it for free", Henriette reassured him.

"You mean to tell me there is nothing I can do to show you my gratitude towards your services to me?" General Cornwallis asked her.

Henriette wasn't sure what to say. "Well...if you would be kind enough to offer me a place to sleep and a decent meal-"

"Consider it done", said General Cornwallis.

Henriette shook her head in understating. "Very well then."

"Excellent", said General Cornwallis, smiling. He rose from his seat and offered his hand out to Henriette, who glady shook his hand.

"Thank you, sir", she said, a smile spread across her face.


	4. Chapter 4

**July 19, 1777**

A year had passed and Henriette had grown accustomed to the ways of living like an 18th century woman. She did what most women would have done during those times, mostly cooking and cleaning, and was very lucky she did not have to work as a nurse. She spent most of her time at Fort Carolina working for General Cornwallis and tending to her chores. Because of the war, Henriette didn't see Colonel Tavington that often. But whenever he returned from a day of fighting, Henriette took every opportunity she could to see him. Unless Diana, an elderly woman and the head maid, had something to say about it.

"You're here to do your work first", Diana would say. "Colonel Tavington has no time for the likes of you."

Henriette would just roll her eyes and say, "Whatever, lady", under her breath.

For some reason, Diana didn't seem to like Henriette and always kept telling her to fix her hair. She thought is was rather scandalous that Henriette wore her hair down and in a ribbon, while all the other maids wore their hair underneath their bonnets. Henriette, however, thought Diana was a just a grumpy old lady who needed to learn to loosen up a bit. Despite the constant remarks, Henriette's kindness and uniqueness had made her quite popular among the other three maids who worked at the fortress. Many nights, before she went to bed, Henriette would often meet up with them in a small room, without Diana, of course, and talk for hours about many things, such as who they thought was the best soldier.

"We all know the answer would have to be General Cornwallis", said Bridget, a tall brunette maiden, sewing a needle.

"I don't know", said Deborah, the short blonde one. "Henriette, how about you?"

"I think we _all_ know who Henriette is thinking about", said Sarah, a maid with long honey blonde hair with a gentle wave, sipping her tea and winking her eyes at Henriette.

Henriette laughed nervously and blushed a bit. "Well, I _do_ think William Tavington is a handsome man."

"He seems rather vigorous, doesn't he?" Deborah asked her. "Personally, I would choose Captain Bordon over Colonel Tavington."

Henriette's smile vanished. "That _is_ too vigorous", she said.

"Really? How so?" Asked Bridget.

There was a pause before Henriette answered with, "...He scares me."

The three maidens simply laughed at her, as if it were a joke. Henriette rolled her eyes and sighed. These girls, she thought, would have fit right in with a modern day gossip group.

One day, after she had finished all her work, Henriette snuck out of the house and went down to the British encampment. It was just past twilight and the sun had already begun to set, leaving behind a beautiful lavender and golden sky. Henriette walked around the campsite, hoping to see Colonel Tavington, but she could not find him. No one seemed to notice or pay any attention to her, but she didn't mind. She found Jupiter and Mars sitting outside one of the tents. Both dogs stood up and wagged their tails, happy to see her. She walked over to them with her hands behind her back and kneeled down.

"Hi, boys", said Henriette. "Look what I got for you." Henriette removed her hands from behind her back and showed them two small cakes, one in each hand. Jupiter and Mars gladly accepted them.

"Yes, that's it. That a boy", said Henriette, rubbing Jupiter's head, who licked her face in return and made her laugh. "Oh, you're such good boys, aren't you?"

"You seem very gifted with dogs", said a man's voice. Henriette didn't need to see a face to know who the voice belonged to. She turned around and looked up. Colonel William Tavington stood outside the entrance of the tent, smiling at her.

Henriette smiled back at him and said, "They're one of my few favorite animals in the world." She rose up and walked with Tavington away from the encampment. They stopped not to close to the edge of the forest and watched as a small group of fireflies danced in the air. William actually managed to catch one of them at the tips of his fingers. Henriette was impressed. It was a rare time like this when she could just stand by his side and be in his presence. Tavington seemed to rather enjoy her company, as well. He didn't have Cornwallis or O'Hara telling him how to control the British officers. And Henriette didn't have any old people breathing down her neck. To them, nothing else mattered. Even the war, it seemed, was forgotten, but only for a short time.

Henriette looked towards the forest and gasped in delight.

"Oh, my gosh", she whispered. She tugged on Tavington's sleeve. "William, look."

Tavington looked near the edge of the forest and saw a small wobbly creature was feeding on grass in the distance. It was tawny with white spots on its back.

"It's a baby deer", Henriette whispered.

"A fawn", said Tavington.

"Yes", Henriette chuckled. She thought it was adorable, but one word was not enough to express on how William felt about seeing such a fragile creature. It was such a tiny thing, but with the innocence of beauty and grace. He wondered if the fawn had a mother and whether she was dead or alive. Most animal offspring could not survive on their own. Still, he hoped for the best.

"Come on, let's try and get closer", said Henriette. She took no more than a step, when Tavington put a tight grip on her left shoulder with his right hand, stopping her.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked her, calmly. But in the back of his mind, he was saying, _How dare you try and disturb the peace of this poor creature_.

Henriette turned her head to the right and looked at him, uncertain. "I just wanted to get a closer look", she said.

"I would not do that if I were you", said Tavington, in a low voice. He took his hand off of Henriette, as she turned to face him, and gave him an expression of confusion, mingled with annoyance.

"Why not?" She asked him.

Tavington took a step towards Henriette, his cold gaze staring down at her. She leaned back a bit, not sure where he was going with this.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Tavington asked her.

Henriette raised an eyebrow at him. "Ghosts?"

"Yes."

Henriette didn't know what to say. "I've never seen one, but it is possible they exist."

"Clearly", said Tavington. "For months now, my men and I have been fighting against the rebel. And yet, the leader of the militia remains to be unseen. I've searched the land many times, but he always seems to slip right pass me. He vanishes before anyone can see him."

"Wait. Are you trying to say the leader is a ghost?" Henriette asked him.

Tavington did not respond. His eyes spoke the truth, but Henriette did not take him seriously. She simply laughed at him and said, "You've gotta be kidding."

But Tavington did not laugh. He kept a straight face and gave her a look of strict seriousness, his grey eyes scolding her.

Henriette's smile disappeared. "You mean it?"

Tavington leaned in closer to her face and spoke to her in a deadly whisper, "I never jest about such things."

Henriette held her breath and felt her heart pounding. She tried to apologize. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Of course you didn't", said Tavington, calmly. "But if you still wish to venture into the woods, I fear you might not ever return."

Henriette turned her head and looked back at the fawn, who looked up as if it had been listening this whole time.

"Do not be fooled by what your eyes show you, Henriette", said Tavington.

Henriette looked back at him. She had no idea of the tragic irony his words meant. If only she knew about the things he had done.

"You will stay where I can keep an eye on you", said Tavington. "Do you understand?"

Henriette said nothing, but nodded her head in agreement.

Tavington smirked at her and said, "I shall escort you back to the fort".

Henriette walked back with him in silence. She turned her head and tried to get one last look at the baby deer, but it was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**September 18, 1778**

Another year passed as the war continued. Henriette kept herself busy with her chores and rarely spoke to Tavington anymore. She still had feelings for him, but ever since he spoke to her about the Ghost, Henriette felt a little uneasy about the whole situation. Luckily, Tavington was always away fighting in the war or searching for the militia. Meanwhile, hundreds of British soldiers had fallen victim to traps set by the Patriots and their commander, this ghost of whom Tavington had created. Although Henriette was a little bit frightened, she was still curious about who this "ghost" of his was. She had asked the other maids one day while they were folding sheets if they knew anything about it, but each one had a different idea of who it was or who it might be.

"I hear the Ghost is a six foot tall beast", said Bridget.

"Maybe it was a ravenous fox who inhabits the swamp", suggested Sarah.

"How can that be?" Said Deborah. "The soldiers were shot when they were killed, so it couldn't have been an animal."

"Well, whoever it is", said Henriette. "He sounds like a lethal weapon."

The maids looked at Henriette, not understanding what she meant by _lethal weapon_.

"What?" Said Bridget.

"Honestly", said Diana, annoyed by the whole conversation. "There's no ghost. I'd be more afraid of the Butcher than some fairy tale if I were you."

Henriette looked up at Diana. "The what?"

"Colonel Tavington, of course", said Deborah, setting a sheet onto a pile and carrying it over to a shelf.

Henriette blinked in confusion. "Why do they call him the Butcher?"

The girls stopped what they were doing and looked at one another. They weren't sure how to break the news of Tavington's reputation to Henriette.

"Colonel Tavington may be under the command of General Cornwallis", said Diana. Henriette and the girls looked at her. "However, he is a man who prefers to play by his own rules." Diana slowly walked towards Henriette, a wicked smile appearing on her face. "He refuses to follow the orders of his superiors and instead follows his own brutal tactics, slaughtering civilians without mercy." Diana stopped a few inches away from Henriette, who remain calm on the outside, but inside, was starting to feel a fiery feeling in her chest. Hatred.

"You may see him as a gentleman, but the truth is, he's a monster." Diana gave Henriette a nasty smirk and walked over to a table, continuing to fold the laundry. The girls resumed their work, as well.

"That's a Goddamn lie!" Henriette objected.

Diana turned around and raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? You're supportive of him, are you?"

"What's that suppose to mean?" Henriette asked her, trying not to loose her patience.

"It means stop wasting time and keep to your work", said Diana. "It's not your place to get involved."

Henriette wanted to say something back at her, but she knew if she tried saying anything, it would only make things worse. So, she picked up a pile of sheets and walked over to another part of the room, folding them angrily. Diana finished folding a pile of clothes and left the room, but the damage had already been done.

Henriette quickly folded the pile of sheets into a neat pile and handed them to Bridget, who turned around and bumped into someone. She stepped back, looked up, and gasped when she saw who it was.

"Captain Bordon", she said.

Deborah was the first to look up from her work. Followed by Sarah. Henriette paid no attention to him and started folding another sheet. Captain Bordon approached her.

"Can I help you?" Henriette asked him, not looking up.

"Colonel Tavington wishes to see you", said Captain Bordon.

Henriette turned to face him and dropped the sheet, along with her attitude. She looked over at Deborah, who looked away immediately and went back to folding her pile of sheets. Henriette didn't know why, but she began to suspect there was something going on between her and Captain Bordon.

Henriette followed Captain Bordon into General Cornwallis' office and gasped when she saw Colonel Tavington was present with him. General Cornwallis looked up from his desk and Tavington turned his head to the right, looking at Henriette. _Oh, no,_ she thought to herself.

"Henriette", said Cornwallis, standing up from behind his desk. "Colonel Tavington wishes for you to accompany him to the fields."

"But I haven't finished all my work", said Henriette, trying to make up an excuse.

"My dear, you have done more than your part for this evening", said Cornwallis, walking over to a small table next to the window. "I assure you, your absence will not affect me in any way."

Henriette took a step forward and was about to tell him off, until Tavington spoke up.

"I shall have her back within the hour, my lord", said Tavington, smiling.

"Have her back by sunset, if you must", said Cornwallis, pouring himself a glass of sherry.

Henriette was about to call the old man out, until William approached her and placed his right arm around her waist. Henriette looked at Colonel Tavington and let him escort her out of the room, but not before throwing one last look of disapproval at General Cornwallis.

They walked out the front and down the steps as they approached Colonel Tavington's horse, a beautiful chestnut-colored animal. Henriette petted the horse's mane and tried getting up onto his back, but this proved to be a little bit difficult for her. Luckily for her, Colonel Tavington was able to help her. He put on his riding helmet before lifting Henriette up onto the horse's back. He then hoisted himself up, with Henriette sitting right in front of him.

Henriette turned her head to the left, looking at Tavington. "Where are we going?" She asked him.

"You shall see", said Tavington, taking hold of the rein in his left hand and pulling it back a bit. The horse neighed and ran out the gate. Henriette grabbed onto the horse's mane, frightened at the speed they were going. Tavington must have sensed this, for at that moment, he placed his right arm around Henriette's waist, making her gasp. For some reason, she felt a bit safer. Henriette turned her head to the left and looked at Tavington. He stared right into her eyes while she stared back at him. She leaned her back against his chest and rode easily with him on the rest of their journey.

They rode until they came to a small field of wildflowers, not too far from the British encampment, but still not too far from Fort Carolina. Tavington dismounted from his horse and offered his hand to Henriette. She took her hand into his and he helped her down. Once Henriette's feet were on the ground, Tavington looked at her hands and examined them with his own gloved hands, his thumb tracing the back of her fingers.

"You work so hard", said William. "And yet you have the softest hands."

Henriette smiled politely and said, "They're my grandmother's hands."

Tavington smiled at her modest compliment. He removed his riding helmet and set it aside on his horse. He offered his hand to Henriette, who took her right hand into his left hand, and walked her over to a bush of forget-me-not. Henriette watched as Tavington started to take off his gloves, slowly removing them finger by finger. Her mouth became dry just by looking at them. What she wouldn't give to have her body be felt and touched by those soft hands of his. William lifted the head of one of the blue flowers that was leaning over with a gentle touch of his fingers and looked at it, admiring its beauty.

"Beautiful country", said Tavington. "Don't you agree, Henriette?"

"Oh, I don't know about that", said Henriette. She really wanted to say no, but she thought it best to give him another opinion. "I think England's a beautiful country compared to this one. I wouldn't know, I've never been there, but I hear it's quite nice."

Tavington shook his head, not taking his eyes off the forget-me-not. "You wouldn't like it."

"Yes, I would", Henriette detested. "I've always wanted to go to England. What's it like there?"

Tavington looked up and sighed. "Cold, wet, and grey."

"It's sounds lovely", said Henriette.

Tavington looked away from the flower and looked at Henriette, his eyes searching her for answers. He knew Henriette was being truthful, but clearly, she had no idea of the high expectations one would have to posses in order to be accepted into high society. Tavington had come from a very wealthy family, but his life as an aristocrat was anything but stylish. He had not a penny to his name. He could never give Henriette the life she deserved.

"You're wrong", said Tavington.

"But don't you have family back in England?" Henriette asked him, curious to know more about Colonel Tavington.

"I do not", Tavington answered, taking a step towards Henriette. "My parents died ten years ago last winter."

Henriette shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-"

"Don't be", said Tavington, calmly. "My late father, you see, was a very scandalous man. He squandered my family's fortune, along with my inheritance, just before he died."

"Dare I ask what he did with your family's money?" Henriette asked him, hoping she wasn't going to far with this sensitive topic.

"Gambling for the most part", said Tavington. "Not to mention he spent more time with his prostitutes than he did with my mother."

Henriette looked at Tavington with shock and put a hand over her heart.

"Oh, William, I'm so sorry", said Henriette, sympathetically.

William looked over his right shoulder and sighed to himself. He shook his head and said, "It's quite sad, really."

Henriette nodded her head. "I know how you feel", she said. She was strongly reminded of her own parents.

Tavington looked back at Henriette. "And?" He asked her. "What about your family?"

It was right then and there that Henriette slowly stepped back and turned away from Tavington. She didn't want to talk to him about her family. She didn't hate them, but she thought if he knew the truth, Colonel Tavington might think less of her. This conversation was already making her feel very uncomfortable. She was starting to think that William could see right through her, but that wasn't true. All he tried to do was engage her in some friendly conversation.

"Why did you bring me here?" Henriette asked him. Tavington sensed the hurt in her voice and placed his right hand on her right shoulder. "Forgive me. I did not mean to offend you-"

Henriette turned around and Tavington removed his hand from her shoulder. "I'm not offended, okay? I just...I'd rather not talk about it."

"Are you ashamed of your family?" Tavington asked her.

Henriette said nothing, but slowly nodded her head in reply. Her eyes were starting to become watery.

Tavington nodded his head in understanding. "I see."

Henriette lowered her head, averting her gaze from the handsome man. Tavington sighed through his nose and gave Henriette a sympathetic look. He knew he had crossed a very sensitive line with her. Her family was murdered, after all. Or so he thought. To William, she was like a lost child, longing for a place in this world. The truth was, Henriette desperately wanted to be a part of his world, but she felt like she could never fit in. She was practically lower, if not middle class, compered to him. He would never accept her for who she was. Would He?

William walked away from Henriette and over to the bushes, where he plucked a flower from its stem and walked back over to her. Henriette heard him approach her and forced herself to look back up at him. He presented her with a single forget-me-not. Henriette accepted his gift and brought it to her nose, breathing in the sweet fragrance. She looked at the bright blue plant and twirled it in her left hand a bit, thinking she should at least try to say something to Colonel Tavington about her family. It only seemed fair, after all.

"Colonel Tavington, I have-"

"William."

Henriette looked up at him. His grey eyes, which were usually cold and full of hate, now seemed warm and soft.

"William, I have a confession to make, and...I'm not sure how to tell you."

William took hold of her right hand and brought it to his lips, giving her a tender kiss and making her heart feel all aglow.

"You know you can tell me anything", said William. "Whatever you wish to say, whatever your sins may be. I would forgive you instantly."

Henriette wanted to tell him everything. About who she really was and where she came from, but the more she thought about it, the less she could remember. Her memory, it seemed, was fading.

Henriette shook her head. "It's nothing."

William could not tell if she was telling the truth or not, but seeing the melancholy expression on her face, he refrained himself from asking, not wanting to upset her any further. What happened next, Henriette was not expecting, as Tavington leaned in towards her, and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. It would have been much better if he had kissed her on her lips, but she thought it best not to argue. Henriette looked up at William, who smiled at her in return. She laughed softly and lowered her head, hoping Colonel Tavington wouldn't see her blush.

It was just past sunset when Colonel Tavington returned Henriette to Fort Carolina. They rode through the gate and came to a halt a few inches from the front steps.

Henriette turned her head to the left and looked at Tavington. "Do you have to go now?" She asked him.

"Lord General Cornwallis will be attending a social gathering at Middleton Place tonight", said Tavington. "I have some very important business I need to discuss with him."

Henriette nodded her head and smiled at him. "I understand." Tavington smiled back at her, and for a moment, it seemed they forget what they were suppose to be doing, until their moment of silence was broken and someone brought them back to reality.

"You!" Yelled a woman's voice.

Henriette gasped and looked forward. Diana was heading right towards her and Tavington.

"Where have you been?" Diana demanded.

Henriette tilted her head back and groaned in frustration. "I was with Colonel Tavington", she said, dismounting from Colonel Tavington's horse. Henriette walked over to Diana, who grabbed her by her right arm.

"I've had just about enough of you", Diana scolded. She smacked Henriette's right hand, knocking the forget-me-not out of it

"Stay your hand, you old bat!" Tavington yelled at Diana. "If you harm her again, I shall see to it that you are removed from the fortress."

Diana looked up at him with fright, while Henriette looked at him with shock, if not amazement. Tavington's unexpected threat seemed to hit Diana pretty hard. She released Henriette's arm and held her head up high with arrogance. "If you wish it", she said.

Colonel Tavington gave Diana a look of disgust before turning his attention to Henriette. His eyes soften when they befell upon her. She was still speechless, but grateful that he had defended her once again. Tavington pulled back the reins and rode out towards the gate.

After the gate closed, Henriette ran up the steps and through the front door of the fortress. She ran down the hall and up to the second floor to her room. She closed the door and then hid herself under the covers of her bed, embarrassed about the whole confrontation. Luckily, she was undisturbed for the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**October 1780**

Seasons came and went, but things only got worse for the British Green Dragoons. The Patriots had claimed more lives of His Majesty's men, burned half the British supply ships, and even ransacked some of General Cornwallis' personal belongings. Jupiter and Mars had disappeared, as well, for Henriette did not see them for months. They were probably dead for all anyone knew. Colonel Tavington was blamed by General Cornwallis countless times for his brutal tactics as the cause of action from the militia and their commander, the Ghost. While Tavington was being told off and scolded by General Cornwallis, Henriette had very little problems of her own with Diana anymore. For months after that day when William took her out to the field, Diana didn't harass Henriette as much as she would have liked to, but she still kept a close eye on her. Henriette said nothing to her, as usual, but something still troubled her.

"I still can't believe it", said Henriette. She was talking to Deborah, Bridget, and Sarah in the kitchen. "He's been trying to capture the Ghost for over two years now and he still hasn't been able to find it."

"You can't _physically_ capture a ghost", said Bridget, chopping a head a lettuce. "They're transparent."

"But what if the Ghost isn't really a ghost at all?" Henriette detested. "Something just doesn't click here."

Sarah looked at Henriette with confusion and asked her, "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry", said Deborah, stuffing a dead duck into a chicken. "They'll find the ghost soon enough. They just...need to keep looking, that's all." Deborah tried her best to reassure them, but Henriette was not convinced.

"You know what they need to do?" Said Henriette, walking over to another station. "They need to get more people involved. And I don't mean more men, but women, as well."

The girls all looked up at her with shock.

"Women?" Said Sarah.

"In the army?" Said Deborah.

"Henriette", said Bridget. She looked towards the direction of the doorway and then back at Henriette. "If Diana comes in here and catches us talking about this, she's going to be furious."

"But aren't you tired of just standing around here all day doing nothing?"

"That's enough, Henriette", said Bridget, putting the knife down and walking over to Henriette. "Our place is here, not on the battlefield. Now take this tray to General Cornwallis before it gets cold." Bridget pointed to a tray of tea sitting on one of the tables. Henriette sighed and walked over to pick it up. As she started walking towards the door, she overheard Deborah say to herself, "Women in the army? Ha! I couldn't imagine myself out there on the battlefield."

Henriette glanced over at her and said out loud, "I bet Captain Bordon would", before walking out. Deborah looked up with an expression of uncertainty.

Henriette heading down the hall and was about to walk into General Cornwallis' office, when she accidentally bumped into somebody. "I'm sorry about that. I-" But Henriette could not finish her sentence, as she looked up and quickly became frozen with fear at what her eyes beheld. It was a middle-aged man with piercing blue eyes and a stoic expression. He was not of the British army, for he wore a long coat of midnight black. He was not as handsome as William, but Henriette still thought he was not too bad looking. The man nodded his head to her and said in a rich, gravelly voice, "Excuse me, miss", before walking pass her. General O'Hara followed him out. That was the first time Henriette ever laid her eyes on a Patriot.

Henriette blinked and shook her head a bit, trying to keep herself together. She walked into General Cornwallis' office and set the tea tray down on his desk.

"Excuse me, sir", said Henriette. "But...who was that man?"

"That, dear Henriette, was the commander of the militia", said Cornwallis.

Henriette heard a dog whimpering and looked down to her right. Jupiter and Mars were back, but they both looked sad.

"I have just agreed to a prisoner exchange with him", said Cornwallis. Henriette looked back at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"You...You mean he's the-"

But Henriette did not finish her sentence, as she heard horses approaching outside. She ran to the window and put her hand on the side of the frame. She looked out and saw Colonel William Tavington had returned, along with Captain Bordon. He dismounted from his horse, handed his riding helmet to another soldier, and walked over to General O'Hara. He turned his head towards the direction of the gate, looking at the commander of the militia. Tavington looked back at General O'Hara and then turned his attention back to the Ghost, before he drew out his sword! Henriette gasped in fright and ran out of the room. She had to make sure William wasn't going to hurt anyone. She ran towards the front and stood in the entrance of the doorway. She saw Colonel Tavington and General O'Hara talking to each other again, before Tavington turned around and walked towards the commander of the militia, who was just about to leave.

"You!" Tavington shouted. Henriette hid herself behind the door, but still managed to poke her head out. "So, you're the Ghost, are you? I remember you! And that farm. That stupid little boy!"

The Ghost stopped in his tracks. He turned around and looked at Tavington.

"Did he die, hmm?" Tavington asked him, mockingly.

The Ghost walked up to Tavington. Henriette held her breath and put her left hand over her heart, afraid of what he might do to him. She wanted to ran out there, but for some reason, she held herself back. There was silence for a minute. Henriette tried to hear what the Ghost was saying to Tavington, but she couldn't. The commander of the militia finally turned and left with his men. Henriette could have sworn she saw him look directly at her for a split second, but she could not tell from her distance. She rested her head on the side of the door and breathed a huge sigh of relief. A whistling sound was heard, followed by the sound of dogs barking. Henriette turned her head to the left and saw Jupiter and Mars running towards the entrance. She moved herself out of their path and watched as they ran out the gate before it closed. That was the last time she would ever see them again.

Colonel Tavington was furious. He had the Ghost right there in front of him, and his superiors just let him go. Tavington turned around and marched up to the steps of the fortress. Henriette stood in front of him.

"William, what happened?"

"Out of my way", Tavington said to her, in a menacing voice. Henriette saw the fire in his eyes and backed away from the door. Tavington walked right passed her without saying another word.

Henriette went back to the kitchen and told the girls everything that happened.

"How much of it did you hear?" Asked Bridget.

"I heard enough", said Henriette, peeling the skin off of a potato.

"What did I tell you?" Said Deborah, molding the dough to make bread. "You just have to wait for him to come to you."

"Honestly, don't you have anything better to talk about?" Diana scolded.

Henriette went over to another station and began to wash the dishes. As she was drying a plate with a dish rag, Henriette could not stop thinking about the man who everyone called the Ghost. Those piercing blue eyes still haunted her. He looked like an ordinary man, but she could not help but fear that he was capable of so much more than she thought he was.

A clattering noise made Henriette gasp and brought her back into reality. She turned around and saw and Sarah had accidentally dropped a bowl of vegetables. Diana marched over to her and grabbed her by her arm. "You stupid girl!" She yelled, slapping Sarah in the face. Henriette heard her scream and set the plate aside.

"Hey!" Henriette shouted. "Don't yell at her! It was an accident, okay?"

"Maybe if you all weren't distracted", said Diana. "This ghost, or man, or whatever it is-"

"The Ghost _is_ a man!" Said Henriette. "I saw him with my own eyes. He's the leader of the militia. I asked General Cornwallis myself."

"You vicious little sneak", Diana scolded. "How dare you-"

"No, how dare _you_ ", said Henriette.

Diana stiffened up and pointed a finger at her. "One more word out of you and you will pay for your insolence", she said, in a calm, but firm voice. "And for God's sake, fix your hair!"

Henriette rolled her eyes and said, "Really? Everyone's worried about a ghost who turns out to be a man and you're worried about hair?"

Diana was speechless at Henriette's witty remark. Hilarious as it might have sound, Diana kept a straight face and put her nose in the air.

"Oh? You seem to have a pretty strong viewpoint on just about everything, don't you?" Diana nodded her head and walked over to another part of the kitchen. "You think you're a princess, just because the Colonel has taken a sudden interest in you."

Henriette went back to her station and started washing another dish. She heard Diana continue to insult her.

"But then again, what else should I expect to hear from the likes of a tart such as you? It is simply atrocious."

Henriette looked up at Diana at the mention of the word _tart_. She knew there were at least two meanings to that word. One of them was a pastry. And the other one was a British slang word meaning prostitute. And Henriette was pretty sure Diana had called her the latter one.

"What?" Asked Henriette, blankly.

"You heard what I said", said Diana.

Henriette set the plate aside and walked away, twisting the rag in her hands, as if she wanted to strangle something. Or in this case, someone. Diana continued to bash Henriette with her harsh words.

"When this war is over, Colonel Tavington will return to England. And you will end up on the streets, where you belong."

That's when Henriette snapped. She threw the dish rag on the floor and turned around swiftly. "Shut up! SHUT UP!"

The room went deadly silent for a minute. Henriette started breathing heavily, her heart racing with fury. Diana walked over to Henriette, slowly but with a calm face. Her anger, however, got the better of her and she slapped Henriette right across her face, knocking her to the ground. Henriette went into complete shock. For a 70 year old woman, Diana was pretty strong.

"You just lost your rations for today!" Diana yelled, grabbing Henriette by her arm and forcing her to her feet. "Now get out and don't let me catch you back here for the rest of the day!"

Henriette ran out of the kitchen before Diana could say or do anything else to her. She started walking down the hall, but stopped when she caught sight of herself in a mirror hanging on the wall. She looked at her reflection and saw a 20 something year old, brown-eyed girl with flour all over her dark green dress. Her long brown was tied back into a loose ponytail with a silver ribbon. She looked beautiful, but tragic. Henriette touched a strand of her hair and sighed at her reflection. She decided to avoid everyone and anyone for the rest of the day.

Henriette secluded herself in a small room and washed the laundry as hot angry tears rolled down her face. A million thoughts were going through her head. Diana had just called her a whore, Colonel Tavington was probably going to leave her when this war was over and forget all about her, but worse of all, she had lost a whole day's worth of bread, meaning she was to go to bed hungry.

After she had finished all her chores, Henriette walked upstairs to her room. She closed the door behind her and rested her head against it. She pounded her right fist against the door and let a quiet sob escape from her lips, her entire body shaking. Henriette wiped away the tears threatening to escape from her eyes and turned her head to the right towards the direction of her bed. She walked over to it and kneeled down, pulling out a box from underneath the bed. It had a thin layer of dust covering the lid. It was the same box that came with the dress William had given her. She opened it and looked inside. There was a pale pink T-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a black lace bra, and a pair of undergarments. Henriette had kept all her modern day clothes hidden away for all those years. She picked up her pale pink T-shirt, put the lid back on the box, and pushed it back under the bed.

Henriette sat down and laid down on the bed, holding the shirt up to her chest. She closed her eyes and sighed to herself. It seemed like a only few minutes, but it must have been hours, for when she opened her eyes again, it was nighttime. But what really caught Henriette off guard was a young man with sandy colored hair and dark brown eyes standing over her, holding a knife. Henriette gasped in shock and tried to call out for help, but the man put a hand over her mouth and held the knife to her throat.

"Don't scream", said the young man, in a low voice.

Henriette, too scared to speak, nodded her head in reply. It wasn't until she examined his clothing with her eyes that she realized he was a Patriot, most likely the Ghost's son. The young man removed his hand from Henriette's mouth and she started breathing heavily.

"Please", Henriette breathed. "Don't hurt me."

"Oh, don't worry, miss. I'm not going to hurt you", said the young man. He removed the knife from her throat and raised it about her head, a sickening grin spread across his face.

"No. No!" Henriette yelled. She tried struggling, but it was no use. The young man had her trapped, as he plunged the knife into her heart!

Henriette awoke with a start. She sat up at once and started breathing very fast. She put a hand to her heart and felt it racing. Henriette looked to her right and saw Colonel Tavington was sitting on her bed. He looked concerned.

"What happened?" Henriette asked him, still disoriented.

"You were dreaming", said William. He scooted a bit closer to her, noticing the slight bruising on the left side of her face. He reached his right hand out to touch her. Henriette flinched when his fingers came into contact, as he carefully placed his right hand on the left side of her face. For a moment, the pain seemed to stop, as though his touch was pure magic.

Henriette shook her head, tears beginning to fill her eyes. She wrapped her arms around William and started crying softly into his chest, her tears staining into his coat. "It wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare."

"There, there, there", Tavington whispered to Henriette, placing his left hand on her right shoulder and his right arm behind her back. "It was only a nightmare. You're safe now."

Henriette sniffled in reply and continued sobbing. Tavington started making little circles on her back and Henriette took several deep breaths, hoping to calm herself down.

"It was just a dream", said Tavington. "Nothing can harm you whilst I am here, my love."

Henriette looked up at him. _Love_? Henriette pulled herself back from William's embrace. She wanted to believe him so bad, but she wasn't sure anymore. William put a hand to her face and wiped away the tears from her eyes. Henriette got out of bed and walked over to the window, folding her arms across her chest. William stood up and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms carefully around her middle and Henriette moved her hands down over his arms, leaning her back against his chest.

"Talk to me, Henriette", William whispered. He knew something was troubling her.

Henriette had so many things she wanted to say to him, but she didn't know where to start. "I'm afraid", she whispered.

"You needn't fear anything", said William. "This war will be over before you know it."

Henriette held her head down and felt like crying again. That's just what she was afraid of. She turned around and looked at him. William released her.

"Will you go back to England when the war is over?"

Tavington was silent for a minute. "I have nothing to go back to. I have a home, but I could never afford it. The expense, the luxuries-"

Henriette shook her head, "I don't care about luxuries. All I want is you...I...I..."

It was right there in that moment when Tavington placed his left hand on the right side of Henriette's face and slowly ran this thumb across her lower lip, her eyes closed and her mouth opened slightly. Hearing her moan and seeing the pleasure on her face made his heart swell and his trousers tight. He would have loved very much to kiss those blossom pink lips of hers, but now was not the right time.

"I understand", William whispered. Henriette opened her eyes and looked at him. Somehow they knew what the other one was thinking. The sexual tension was high for both of them. Frustrating as it was, they knew, one day, the opportunity would come.

Henriette sudden felt an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Oh, I almost forgot", said Tavington. "I have something for you." He held out his right hand and presented Henriette with a delicious red apple. "I have spoken with one of your friends about your little incident with afternoon. I thought I told that old woman to leave you alone. Clearly, I was wrong."

Henriette blinked and looked up at him, her eyes grew wide. "You're not going to kill her or anything, are you?"

"Of course not", Tavington reassured her. "But I warned you, if she ever did that to you again-"

"William, please. I know Diana and I don't get along, but I don't want her to leave."

"Why does she torment you, I wonder?" Tavington asked her, curiously.

Henriette shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Fear, maybe? Jealousy? I don't know what she thinks half the time."

William leaned in closer to Henriette and whispered, "Dash what the old bat thinks." Henriette laughed at his witty remark and he smiled at her, happy to see her face had brightened up. He offered the apple to Henriette again.

"Eat. I'm sure you must be very hungry."

Henriette accepted his small token of generosity. Holding the apple in her hands, Henriette gazed upon it as thought it were a precious gemstone. She looked at William and said with a smile, "Thank you."

William returned the gesture and smiled back at her. "Good night, Henriette."

He turned around and left her alone for the rest of night.

"Good night...my love."


	7. Chapter 7

**January 16, 1781**

With the help of a Loyalist colonial named Captain Wilkins, Colonel Tavington was able to identify the name of the Ghost - Benjamin Martin. Now that he knew who this "ghost" really was, Tavington decided to take drastic measures. Because Benjamin made a fool out of him with the "prisoner" exchange", General Cornwallis allowed Tavington to continue using brutal tactics to hunt him down by any means necessary, though he was reluctant to grant him his request. One by one, Tavington and his British Green Dragoons began tracking down the names and families of the militia, torturing them for information on Benjamin Martin's whereabouts. Those who refused, were instantly killed and had their houses burned down, as they were believed to be traitors. But the worse was yet to come, for both William _and_ his lover.

Henriette woke up early one morning before any of the other maids did. The first thing she did was gather all her modern day clothing, except for her pale pink T-shirt, and went down to the kitchen. She stoked a fire in the fireplace and burned her all her clothes. She gave up a long time ago about ever going back to her modern day time period, but now she was finally letting go of her past. Or present. Or future. Or however it went. All she wanted was to stay in the 18th Century with Colonel Tavington. Henriette didn't know why, but she felt like she belonged with him. She had always been faithful to him and never questioned his motives. So, she decided to dedicate herself to him, even if it meant she practically sold her soul to the Devil.

Later that same day, Henriette brought a tray of tea to General Cornwallis, who was looking out the window with his hands behind his back.

"Good afternoon, General", said Henriette, setting the tray on his desk. She turned and was about to leave, until General Cornwallis spoke to her.

"There's no use trying to pretend anymore, Henriette", he said.

Henriette stopped dead in her tracks, her shoulders tensed up and her eyes widened. She thought General Cornwallis had finally discovered her true identity, but there was no possible way he could have known that. "Sir?" She said over her right shoulder.

General Cornwallis walked over to his desk and poured himself a cup of tea as he said to Henriette, "It's no surprise to me that Colonel Tavington has grown very attached to you."

Henriette turned around and blinked in confusion. "William, sir?"

General Cornwallis shot his eyes at her and answered, "Yes", before taking a sip of his tea.

Henriette looked down, relieved but still concerned. "Oh."

General Cornwallis set the teacup on a saucer and said to Henriette, "But you have to understand that Colonel Tavington is a soldier first."

Henriette looked back up and said, "Pardon?"

"I cannot afford to have my men be tempted by any distractions that will cost us this war", said Cornwallis.

Henriette raised an eyebrow at him. "Distractions?"

General Cornwallis walked over to Henriette. "We fight tomorrow at Cowspen and Colonel Tavington will wait for my command on when to attack. I will not have you putting ideas into his head, just so he can please you."

Henriette was offended by this. She knew he knew there was something obviously up between her and William, but she thought it was none of his business. She took a step forward and said in defense, "Everything Colonel Tavington has done is try to please you. I play no part in this war, nor do I intend to be. But if I'm causing a problem-"

"My dear, that is precisely the point. As long as you continue to encourage him using these brutal tactics of his-"

"You were the one who gave him that permission in the first place!"

"Oh, enough, enough", said Cornwallis. "A fine help, you've been", he said, walking away from Henriette and back over to his desk.

Henriette crossed her arms and walked over to the window. There was a cloud of black smoke coming from somewhere far off in the distance, but she thought nothing of it. "Just say it."

General Cornwallis turned back to her. "What?"

Henriette let her arms drop to the side and turned around to face Cornwallis. "Diana thinks that I'm a loose woman. I do love him, but I know he has more important things to worry about. This stupid war, for example. Forgive me, sir, but that's just how I feel."

Henriette sat down in a chair and kept her head down. "Colonel Tavington is the bravest man I've ever known. He's always telling me how you're like his mentor and that he only wishes to be your equal. I'm not trying to get in the way of him or his duty to you. I'm just trying to be strong for his sake. Is it not a woman's job to encourage her lover to be strong in battle?"

General Cornwallis thought Henriette was so naive in what she was saying, but knew she had a good point. These were difficult times, after all. And there was no shame in a woman encouraging her man to fight for what he believed in. Although Colonel Tavington had never lost a battle, he still failed him in capturing the Ghost. General Cornwallis knew he would try anything to achieve victory for himself, which made him feel even more sorry for Henriette. Should anything happen to William, General Cornwallis would not be held responsible. William's actions in the final outcome of this war would either cost him his commission or his life.

Henriette heard General Cornwallis walk over to her and looked up at him with watery eyes. She thought she was in big trouble now.

"Come here, child", said Cornwallis, offering his hand to her. Henriette put her hand into his and stood up. Cornwallis placed his other hand over hers in a comforting matter. "Colonel Tavington is, indeed, a very brave man. Brutal as his tactic may be-"

General Cornwallis was just about to explain this delicate situation to Henriette, but just at that moment, Wilkins entered the room, looking rather worrisome.

"My lord, something has happened", he said.

"What is it?" Cornwallis asked him.

"Colonel Tavington has been wounded."

Henriette's eyes widened at this unexpected news.

"WHAT!?" Henriette shouted.

"Calm yourself", Cornwallis ordered her. He walked over to Wilkins and asked him, "What happened?"

"He and his men were attacked by the militia. He and Captain Bordon were-"

"Where is Captain Bordon?" General Cornwallis asked him.

"Captain Bordon is dead, sir", said Wilkins.

Henriette was shocked at what she had just heard. "Dead?" She whispered to herself. Even though she was never really fond of him, she still thought he was a good soldier.

General Cornwallis looked over to one side and stroked his chin. He then walked out of the room and left.

Henriette shot her eyes at Wilkins, who looked as though he were in despair. "Something's wrong, isn't it?" She asked him.

Wilkins looked at her, and for a minute, there was a disturbing silence. Reluctantly, he walked over to Henriette and said, "I tried to talk him out of it, miss, but he..." Wilkins hesitated on revealing anything, seeing how he had something to do with the recent event that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Henriette took hold of his hand, hoping he would answer her.

"Just tell me what happened", said Henriette, her eyes softening a bit.

Wilkins told Henriette everything that happened at a small town called Pembroke. About how Colonel Tavington forced all the townspeople into a church and locked them inside as they were burned alive. Henriette could not believe a word of it. How could one man, especially William, commit such a horrifying act? Burning the Father's house and trapping all those civilians inside, leaving them to die? Henriette felt her heart being split into two.

"Please don't think ill of me, miss", said Wilkins. "I swear, I never meant for any of this to happen."

Wilkins sat down in a chair and put his head into his hands. Henriette placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and said, "I forgive you." She knew Wilkins was innocent. She just couldn't believe what Tavington had done. She looked towards the doorway, before she picked up the skirts of her dress, and walked out of the room.

Henriette ran outside of Fort Carolina and down towards the British encampment. She searched for Tavington, hoping to confront him. She figured she check the infirmary first. She was about to enter, when she saw General Cornwallis exist from there. She hid herself behind a barrel. She barely peeked out and saw General O'Hara approach him and say something, but she could not hear their conversation. After they had left, Henriette removed herself from her hiding place and ran over to the tent.

She entered the infirmary and saw Tavington. His hair was loose and his white shirt gave Henriette a peek at his chest, but that little distraction was short lived, as Henriette's eyes widened at the sight of the blood on his shirt. She did not see the bandages underneath.

"William, you're bleeding!"

Tavington placed a hand over his wound. "It's nothing", he said, turning away from Henriette, who walked over to him and placed her right hand on his right shoulder.

"Are you hurt-"

"It's nothing!" Tavington yelled at her. She backed away from him at once. That was the first time Henriette ever heard him raise his voice at her. And it frightened her. Tavington saw the hurt in her eyes and reached his hand out to her, but Henriette took a step back from him.

"So it's true", said Henriette. "You did do it."

"I don't know what you're talking about", said Tavington.

Henriette shook her head in disbelief. "How could you burn a house of God?"

Tavington scoffed and turned his back on her, reaching for his red coat and putting it back on. He was not about to let a flesh wound bring him down, no matter how much it hurt.

"You killed all those people. You forced your men to do all your dirty work for you."

"I had good reasons for doing it."

"You could get damned for this!"

It happened in a flash, as Tavington finally reached his breaking point, and slapped Henriette hard, right across her face. She put a hand to her face and pulled it back, only to discover her fingers were stained red with her own blood. William had given her a nosebleed!

He regretted his actions immediately, seeing the blood dripping from her nose and onto the front of her dress.

"Henriette, I didn't mean it-"

William put his hands on her, but Henriette pushed him away, causing him to fall back onto a cot.

"NO!" Henriette screamed. "Don't touch me! Don't you understand now? This is your fault! I'm leaving here and I'm never coming back!"

And with that, Henriette ran out of the tent. William stood up and walked outside, as he watched her disappear pass the crowd of British soldiers and into the forest. He wanted to run after her, but for some reason, he held himself back.

Henriette ran deep into the woods, hoping to get as far away from Tavington as she could. Her hair had become loose somewhere in the process, as the silver ribbon in her hair got caught on a tree branch, letting it flow in the breeze. Henriette ran until she came to a small creek. She sat down on her legs and cupped her hand into the water. She brought it to her nose and washed away the blood. It stung her badly, but it was nothing compared to the pain she felt in her heart. How could Colonel Tavington have done this to her? After all that she had done to try and support him, this was how he thanked her? Henriette felt confused about the man she loved so much. Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. She closed her eyes and started crying. Henriette rose up and walked over to a tree. She lied under it and cried to herself until she fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Henriette woke up several hours later and realized it was already nightfall. What she didn't know was that she had fallen asleep in the exact same place where she was transported to all those years ago. She sat up slowly and removed a leaf from her hair. She smelled blood and looked down at herself. She saw there was a bit of blood on the front of her dress. She sighed, remembering why she was out here in the first place. She never thought Colonel Tavington would hurt her like that, physically or emotionally. She told herself that she would never go back, but she couldn't stop thinking about him. Even now, she could still his face, his grey eyes filled with sorrow and regret.

Henriette heard a twig snap and gasped. She turned her head to the right, hoping it was a man, but it wasn't. Instead, it was a white-tailed deer. Henriette kept still as the deer stared at her with those dark, warm eyes. There was a rustle in the bushes behind the deer, but it did not flinch. A second later, a tiny fawn appeared and stood right next to it. The deer and the fawn started feeding on the grass and flowers amongst the forest floor. It was right there in that moment when Henriette came to realize that the deer was none other than the same tiny fawn she and William saw almost five years ago. She was now a mother. Henriette smiled as she watched the mother deer clean her fawn's little head. It was such a beautiful sight to beheld. William would have loved it.

Meanwhile, Tavington waited on the steps of Fort Carolina, hoping he would see his beloved beauty once more. It was already nightfall. There was a full moon out that night, but this meant nothing to him. He stood on the brink of war tomorrow. If this was to be his final hour, he had hoped to spend it with his beautiful Henriette. Her words still haunted. _I'm leaving here and I'm never coming back!_ She said. William sighed to himself, ashamed of the way he had mistreated her. She was the only person who believed in him. And know, it seemed, he had lost her forever.

He finally gave up and walked inside. He made his way up to Henriette's room and stood in the doorway. He noticed Henriette's pale pink shirt was lying on the bed. He walked over and picked it up. He remembered the first he ever saw her and how weak, scared, and fragile she looked. Right away, he felt a deep connection, before he even knew her name or where she came from. William closed his eyes and brought the shirt to his nose, breathing in her musk. Wishing he could see Henriette for one last night.

Tavington felt someone standing behind him and opened his eyes again when he heard the door shut. He dropped the shirt in his hands and turned around quickly. Sure enough, a dark figure stood in the shadows. He did not even hear footsteps approach him. For a moment, William was speechless, as the dark figure stepped into the moonlight and turned out to be Henriette. Her long brown hair was loose and her dark green dress was slightly tattered. Her expression as blank.

"You're back", William whispered.

"Tavington, these actions of yours have to stop," said Henriette.

William was taken aback by this, for she had spoken to him almost the exact same words General Cornwallis had told him once before. Those words didn't mean anything to him coming from his commander, so why would it matter being told to him by a woman? But this was no ordinary woman. And he knew it. He should be angry at Henriette for running away and giving him a fright, but for some reason, he held himself back. He feared, perhaps, that he had already caused enough damage, that she would never forgive him if he dared to harm or insult her any further. He was lucky she was even speaking to him again.

Henriette approached Tavington and stopped a few steps away from him.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Henriette asked him.

William was silent for a moment. He did not want to admit it, but the idea of him failing in everything he had hoped for, now seemed far too impossible to reach.

"Yes, I am afraid", said William.

Henriette shook her head. "There's no need", she said. "Your secret is safe with me." She took a step towards Colonel Tavington and said to him, "Look, I don't want to hold any grudges against you. I will forgive you for what you've done, but only if you promise to not to keep anymore secrets from me. Do we have a deal?"

There was a pause before William nodded his head and answered, "Very well."

He held his hand out to her, hoping she would take it, but instead, Henriette took another step towards William, and wrapped her arms around his waist, embracing him in a warm and loving hug. William gasped at this unexpected act of affection. After all he had done, the crimes and murders he had committed, she still forgave him? Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, his eyes filling with tears. He had already lost her once. He did not want to loose her again. Henriette felt his body starting to tremble and heard him crying softly, as William brushed his fingers through her hair.

"Henriette, I'm so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am."

"Shh, shh", Henriette whispered softly, rubbing his back. "I'm here now." She heard William take a deep breath, as he held her closer to his chest.

"William?"

"Yes, my love?"

Henriette look up at him and said, "There's something you have that I want."

"Anything." William whispered to her.

Henriette leaned in towards William, closed her eyes, and placed a long, gentle kiss on his lips. She pulled away from the kiss and looked at William, licking her lips and tasting the salt of his tears.

William was at a loss for words. He gently placed his hands on both sides of her face, touching his forehead to hers. Henriette placed her right hand on his left wrist as a sign of affection. He returned the gesture by giving her a tender, loving kiss on her lips. Henriette wrapped her arms around William's neck, drawing him in for an even hungrier kiss. With one hand, she managed to untie the black cloth surrounding William's hair, letting it flow free. William moaned in response and reached his hands behind her back, untying the straps on the back of her dress. Henriette broke away for air and moaned as William carefully slipped the dress off her body, exposing her. Henriette should have felt ashamed that she stood naked in front of him, but she didn't. William showed her no signs of disapproval either. If anything, he showed no expression at all. He took off his red coat and untied the front of his white shirt, revealing a glimpse of his manly chest to Henriette. She thought he looked much better this way, especially with his hair down like that, long and stringy.

Henriette kneeled down and helped William out of his boots. Then slowly pulled down his black trousers, revealing inch by inch of his beautiful legs. Henriette caught sight of his manhood and gave it a gentle stroke. She heard William groan and felt him became hard in her hand. She kissed the tip of it and reveled in hearing his soft cries. William moaned and held onto her shoulders, as Henriette took the head of it into her mouth. _Devil woman_ , he thought to himself. He did not expect her to go this far.

It would have been a disaster if anyone caught them engaging in such activities, but luckily, no one ever saw them.

Henriette stopped what she was doing and lifted William's shirt up a bit, just enough to see the bandages around his waist. She carefully unwrapped them and kissed where his flesh wound was still healing. He took her hands into his and helped her to her feet. William pulled his white shirt over his head and stood before Henriette completely exposed, just as much as she was.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, William leaned in towards Henriette and placed a gentle kiss on her soft lips, causing her to moan in reply. William moved his right arm behind her back and slowly moved his left hand down her right arm, until his hand stopped at the entrance of her womanhood. William inserted a finger into her tight folds, causing Henriette to tilt her head back and moan out loud. William drowned out her moans by locking his lips onto hers, as Henriette forced her tongue into his mouth. He moved his lips down to her neck, occasionally biting her ever now and then with his teeth, making her feel things she never felt before, as her breathing became more labored. It wasn't long before she quickly became wet, her sex lubricated with her juices, allowing William easier access to her womanhood.

He added a second finger into her vulva, stretching her. Henriette cried out and started breathing very fast as a strange new feeling seeped throughout her body. A painful, but pleasurable sensation. It hurt so good, she did not want William to stop. Henriette could feel herself becoming slicker and hotter as he continued to finger bang her, each stroke causing a delicious friction of heat throughout her body.

Fearing she was going to pass out, Henriette grabbed onto his shoulders for support. William would have bruises in the morning, but he didn't care. He pulled his fingers out of her and heard her cry out in pain. William picked Henriette up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He laid her body against the sheets and waited for her to catch her breath, before positioning himself on top of her. William leaned in towards Henriette and kissed her lips, tenderly. Followed by her cheek. And then her neck. Henriette, completely lost in her own ecstasy, moaned in pleasure and ran her fingers through his long hair, as William let her adjust to his size. He fit her perfectly.

Slowly moving himself in and out of her, William was gentle with Henriette, careful not to hurt her. Henriette groaned in sexual frustration and rolled William over onto his back, straddling him. It was her time to be dominate. Henriette slammed her lips against William's, earning herself a moan from him. She rocked her hips back and forth in a fast motion, panting as her heart started racing. William groaned feverishly, his voice filled with lust, and raked his fingers down her back. He wanted to posses her. To remind her that she belonged to him and him alone. Henriette sped up the process a bit, as William matched his movements with hers. Using what little strength she had left, Henriette let out one last cry, as the final wave of her orgasm consumed her. Her breathing quickened as William released his seed into her.

Henriette collapsed on top of William's body and rested her head on his chest, breathing heavily. William wrapped his right arm around her shaking form and curled his fingers into her long brown hair, not caring if it was dirty, or that her body was covered in sweat. To William, she smelled of roses. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you, Henriette."

"I love you, William." Those were the last words he heard Henriette say to him before she fell into a peaceful sleep. Soon, the sweet pleasure of blackness of took hold of them both.

A few hours later, William had awakened. It was still early in the morning, but he did not fall back asleep. William turned over on his right side and watched Henriette sleep, listening to her delicate breathing. He took hold of her left hand and sighed to himself. He was thinking about the events of what the day might bring. If the British won this war, he would be bestowed upon a huge territory of land, and that was more than enough of a reward for him. Only he didn't care about land anymore. All he cared about was Henriette. When this war was over, he would probably return to England. With her. It hurt him to leave her like this, but he had to do it. It was his duty to serve for king and country. This was his final chance to redeem himself.

William got out of bed a few hours before the sun rose and put on his uniform. As William was putting his gloves on, he heard Henriette moan in her sleep. He turned his head to the right and watched her stir. She did not awaken. William finished adjusting his hair back into the black cloth and looked over at Henriette. He walked over to her and looked at her with sadness, as he ran his fingers lightly against her lips. He did not know if this would be the last time he would ever see her again. William kneeled down and planted one last kiss on her lips before he left.

He rode down to the British encampment and entered into General Cornwallis' tent.

"Reporting for duty, my lord."


	9. Chapter 9

**January 17, 1781**

When daylight came, Henriette opened her eyes and discovered William was gone. She sat up at once and looked around the room. She sighed to herself, thinking last night was nothing more than just a dream. Henriette pulled back the covers, only to discover there were bruises and bite marks all over her naked body. On her arms, on her neck, even on her breasts. It wasn't a dream at all.

Henriette got dressed and went down to the kitchen. She started plucking feathers off of a dead pheasant when Bridget walked in and greeted her.

"Good morning", said Bridget. She took a second glance at Henriette and noticed the blood on the front of her dress, as well as the hickey on her neck.

"Oh, my God! What happened to you?" Bridget asked, her voice full of concern.

Henriette looked up from her work and then back down again. "It's nothing", she said, blankly. Henriette walked over to another station when Diana walked in and greeted Bridget with a smile.

"Good morning, Bridget. You're up awful early", said Diana. She looked over at Henriette, who was pouring water into a teakettle, and her expression turned into a scold. Diana marched over to Henriette and demanded firmly, "Where were you?"

Henriette set the kettle down and walked away from Diana, giving her the usual silent treatment. _It's none of your damn business, lady_ , Henriette thought to herself, as she grabbed a butcher knife and started slicing up tomatoes. An image of Colonel Tavington riding hard into battle came to her mind, as she watched the red juices drip from the knife's blade.

Bridget walked over to Henriette, but she did not look up at her. "Henriette, this is serious. The girls and I were worried about you last night. Where did you go?"

"Judging by the state of her hair, I'd say she was out in the woods with her precious Tavington", said Diana, raising an eyebrow at Henriette. "Naughty boy, was he?"

"Diana, shush!" Bridget begged.

"No, I want to hear all about it", said Diana, walking over to Henriette, who had her back to her. Henriette tightened her grip on the butcher knife, as she thought about Colonel Tavington slaughtering Patriots, blood splattering onto his face as he killed those bastards. _I wonder how she would like it if I did the same thing to her_ , Henriette thought to herself, trying not to make a scene, but Diana was making it very hard for her to control herself.

"Tell me, Henriette", Diana mocked her. "How does it feel for you to be Tavington's whore?"

That was the breaking point for Henriette. Having had enough of Diana's abuse, Henriette spun around and pointed the butcher knife at the old woman's throat. Diana gasped in fright and backed away at once. Bridget put a hand to her mouth, a look of horror on her face. Henriette started walking towards Diana, giving her a warning to back off, and cornered her up against the wall.

"I'd rather be his whore than be your scullery maid", said Henriette. She threw the knife on the floor and the blade, shockingly, stood up straight. Henriette picked up the skirts of her dress and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving the old bat trembling in fear. Bridget went over to comfort Diana after Henriette had left.

As Henriette walked quickly down the hallway, she ran passed Deborah and pushed Sarah out of the way.

"Hey!" Deborah yelled, running after Henriette.

Henriette entered the small room where they kept all the laundry. She walked over to a closet and opened the double doors. It was full of spare soldier uniforms. Already, she had an idea. If she stole a soldier's uniform and disguised herself as a man, then she could help William fight, possibly even win, this war. It was so cliched, but Henriette felt she had to do it.

Henriette stripped off her dress and started to put on a pair of black trousers, when Deborah entered the room, her mouth hung open at the sight of seeing Henriette standing half naked in the middle of the room.

"What in the name of God are you doing?" Deborah whispered, desperately.

"If William's going to fight, I want to be there with him", said Henriette, putting on a long-sleeved white shirt and tucking it into her black trousers. Deborah walked over to her, clutching her hands onto Henriette's left sleeve.

"Enough men have died for England already", said Deborah. "When will this madness stop?"

Henriette pulled away from Deborah and kneeled down. She tore a piece of fabric from her dark green dress and answered with, "When I help William to take down Benjamin Martin and his militia", as she tied her hair back into a ponytail.

"You are obsessed by it!"

Henriette stood up right away and said, "Damn it, Deborah! I am through with being polite! Don't you get it?!" She placed her hands on Deborah's shoulders. "I can't stay here anymore." Henriette slipped her hands down Deborah's arms and took hold of her hands. "Would you have done the same for Captain Bordon?" Henriette asked her.

Deborah's lip started to tremble at the mere mention of his name. She shook her head as tears started to fill her eyes and whispered, "I can't."

Henriette let go of Deborah's hand and took a few steps back. She turned around and walked back over to the closet to retrieve a pair of boots. After slipping them on with ease, Henriette grabbed a red and green coat and threw it on. Then she picked up a riding helmet and put it on her head, tucking her hair underneath it, and slipping the strap under her chin. Finally, Henriette grabbed a sword and turned her attention back to Deborah. She walked over to her and said, "Goodbye", before she left the room.

As Henriette walked down the steps of Fort Carolina, she looked straight ahead and kept her head up, hoping to look like a professional soldier. But there was nobody even around to notice, which made this the perfect opportunity for her to sneak out unseen by anyone.

She walked over to the stables next to the fortress and stole a cavalry horse. He was young, but still strong enough for battle. Henriette stroked his long face and hoisted herself up unto his back. She grabbed hold of the reins and pulled them back, causing the horse to neigh and rear up. The horse rode hard and fast out of the stables and out towards the gate. With no one to stop her, Henriette rode outside of Fort Carolina, and down towards the British encampment.

As she neared her destination, Henriette pulled back the reins and stopped just a few feet away, holding her breath as she overlooked the encampment. The British army consisting of 600 cavalry and 8,000 infantry was ready to go into battle. Henriette didn't know what she was getting herself into, but then she thought about William, and regained her confidence. She pulled on the horse's reins and said, "Come on", before she rode down to join the rank. Henriette hid herself among the cavalry and caught sight of Colonel Tavington on his horse, one hand on his hip and the other holding the reins. She was afraid he would recognize her, but his mind was set on another target.

General Cornwallis, with General O'Hara by his side, ordered the British army to be divided into groups and told them to wait for his command. He looked over at Colonel Tavington, who ordered his British Green Dragoons to follow him, and felt that he would try to mess things up again. As Colonel Tavington left with his men, General Cornwallis caught sight of a young soldier who he had never seen before.

Henriette followed Tavington and stayed close beside him. He never even suspected she was near. Though he still felt something would go terribly wrong, Colonel Tavington thought about Henriette and hid his nervousness behind an mask of sheer confidence, hoping to return to her when this war was over.

Tavington held up his right hand, signaling his British Green Dragoons to come to a halt, as they hid near a group of trees in the distance, waiting for General Cornwallis' orders on when to attack. The battle had already begun, as gunfire and smoke engulfed the battlefield. Men were shouting orders to their troops to open fire on their enemies. This was war.

As they watched the battle from afar, Henriette glanced over at Tavington and could tell right away that he was anxious. Underneath that calm exterior was a lion ready to pounce and attack his prey. She turned her attention back to the battlefield.

Tavington pulled out his telescope and looked through it. He caught sight of Benjamin Martin and dropped it on the ground. He pulled out his sword and ordered, "Prepare to charge!"

"Sir, we haven't been given that order", said Wilkins. Tavington took a quick glance at him, before he raise his sword and yelled, "Charge!"

Colonel Tavington rode out first, followed by Henriette, and then the rest of the British Green Dragoons.

Somewhere, overlooking from a distant hill, General Cornwallis and General O'Hara looked on disapprovingly, as Cornwallis said, "Tavington. Damn him! Damn that man!"

The militia took aim at the oncoming British army and opened fire, but then Benjamin Martin ordered a retreat. Henriette pulled out her sword as Colonel Tavington and his Dragoons rode out onto the field. General Cornwallis ordered a bayonet charge and had the infantry sent out, as well. The militia continued to run in fear, as General Cornwallis ordered General O'Hara to send the entire battalion over the hill.

The British army rode over the hill, hoping to finally attack the militia, but little did they know was that the militia had _another_ army ready to attack them. It was a trick!

"Hold the charge!" Tavington yelled, raising his sword and turning his horse around. "Hold the charge!"

Henriette pulled the reins and turned her horse around. She looked at Tavington, but then turned her attention back to the militia, as they opened fire on several British soldiers. Both cavalry and infantry were shot and killed as the militia opened fire on them again.

"Charge!" Benjamin Martin ordered, leading his troops towards the British army. Henriette looked towards Colonel Tavington's direction and saw him ride towards the militia. She started to follow him, only to be surrounded by a crowd of Patriots. One of them was about to hit her with the end of his bayonet, but then Henriette, thinking at the last minute, sliced at him with her sword. Her first kill! She had only a second to look at the blood on her sword, when another Patriot was about to attack her. Henriette stabbed at him, right through his gut, followed by another. It wasn't until she killed her fifth or sixth Patriot, that she was able to look over at Tavington, who was slaughtering militia with hateful disgust.

By that time, the British army had started to gain the upper hand. Half the Patriots were shouting, "Retreat", but then Benjamin Martin ran towards his men and shouted, "Wait! No retreat!" He grabbed a flagpole holding the American flag from one of his men and waved it around. "Hold the line!" He said. "Hold the line!"

Colonel Tavington turned his horse around and, with a look of determination on his face, rode towards him, as the militia pushed forward and sent the British army back over the hill. Henriette must have slaughtered several to a dozen men herself by that time, before she realized what was happening. As she saw both armies running back over the hill, Henriette kicked her horse on both sides and followed behind. By the time she rode back over the hill, Henriette saw that it was the militia who had gained the upper hand this time. _Damn_ , Henriette thought to herself. She looked to her left and saw Colonel Tavington was looking right at Benjamin Martin, while the leader of the militia was looking right back at him.

At that moment, everything seemed to be slowing down, as Henriette saw Benjamin Martin running towards Colonel Tavington with the flagpole in his hands. Colonel Tavington yelled as he rode towards the leader of the militia with his sword, hoping to finally kill him. But alas, Benjamin impaled Tavington's horse from underneath, sending him flying off and rolling onto the ground. Henriette gasped as she witnessed this event. For a moment, she thought William was hurt and dismounted from her horse. She was about to run over to him, but then she saw him stand up, slowly. Henriette saw William look towards Benjamin and looked in the same direction as him. She saw Benjamin load his pistol and pointed it at Colonel Tavington, hoping to shoot for his heart.

"NOOO!" Henriette yelled. She started running towards William, until a nearby explosion from a cannonball knocked her off her feet. She hit her head on the ground and was knocked unconscious for the rest of the battle.


	10. Chapter 10 (Ending)

Henriette regained consciousness a few minutes later and realized the battle was over, as both British and American soldiers alike were gathering their wounded and searching amongst the blood-stained ground for the dead. Henriette sat up slowly and felt a sharp pain in her left arm. She placed her hand over a minor wound that she had received from the explosion, as a strand of hair draped over her shoulder. Henriette placed both hands on her head, as she realized her riding helmet had fallen off and her hair had become loose, but it was not as important as what she found when she looked to her right. As Henriette looked down at the body that was lying next to her, her eyes became wide and her mouth dropped open in horror. It was Colonel Tavington!

Henriette moved closer to him and looked over his lifeless body. Tavington had received a gunshot wound to his left shoulder, as well as a slash to his right arm. He had been stabbed through the torso and there was a deep wound right through his neck, most likely from a broken bayonet. Henriette placed a trembling hand on the left side of his face. His skin was blue and felt like ice. She leaned in towards him and placed a tender, loving kiss on his cold lips. She could taste the bitterness of his own blood. "I'm so sorry, William", Henriette whispered, her voice breaking. She touched her forehead to his, as her tears fell into his eyes. She lied her head down on his chest, but there was no heartbeat. He was gone. William Tavington was dead.

Captain Wilkins found Henriette crying over Colonel Tavington's corpse and dismounted from his horse. He approached Henriette from behind and kneeled down, placing his right hand on her left shoulder. "I'm sorry, miss", said Wilkins, but Henriette did not move. Her body was numb with grief. Wilkins heard horses approach them and looked up, but Henriette did not. She knew it was General Cornwallis and General O'Hara, but she did not want to see them.

As General Cornwallis ordered two soldiers to take Colonel Tavington's body away, Henriette clutched her left hand onto William's right wrist. _I'm not leaving him_ , she said to herself. _I won't leave him_. Wilkins put his hands on Henriette's shoulder's and tried to pull her away from Colonel Tavington, as two Dragoons came to take him away. They picked up his body and William's hand slipped out of her grasp. Henriette collapsed against Wilkins and rested her head on chest, as a fresh stream of tears rolled down her eyes. So many lives were lost that fateful day. But out of all those Americans who celebrated their victory, only one of them wept for a British soldier.

Months past and Henriette stopped speaking. She wore a black-hooded cape for the rest of her days, as a symbol of her mourning for Colonel William Tavington, who was never to return to her. A memorial service was held for the fallen British soldiers who died at the Battle of Cowspen, but Henriette did not attend the funeral, as she did not wish to see William be put into the ground and buried under American soil. He deserved to be buried in England, with or without honor. Deborah, Bridget, and Sarah tried everything to get Henriette to speak, but she would not utter a word. Even Diana, who had always tormented her with her harsh words, tried to give Henriette her sympathy. "I'm truly sorry for what happened to William", she said. But Henriette would just glare at her and shake her head, thinking to herself, _No, you're not_. Henriette secluded herself from everybody by confining herself to her room. She didn't eat. She rarely slept. And even when she did, Henriette would dream about dancing among the stars with William as he sang softly to her. No matter what, Henriette missed him. She missed hearing the comforting sound of his voice. She missed him putting his arms around her whenever she was lonely. She missed being close enough to him to smell his musk. Many nights, she would usually cry herself to sleep, hoping to never wake up from her dreams.

Eventually, General Cornwallis moved his army up north to Yorktown, Virginia. There, the Americans, along with the French army, surrounded him. General O'Hara beseeched General Cornwallis time and again to order the surrunder. Although he did not wish to admit it, he knew that all hope was lost.

"How could it come to this? A army of rebel. Peasants. Everything will change...Everything has changed."

On October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis finally ordered the surrender and relinquished his sword to General O'Hara. The British had lost the war.

After the siege of Yorktown, General Cornwallis offered for Henriette to accompany him on his return back to England. Henriette thought it was useless, seeing how William was dead and that she would be on her own if she did even if she did. But nevertheless, Henriette answered by nodding her head in agreement, without breaking her vow of silence. She hugged her friends goodbye and left for the United Kingdom.

On January 21, 1782, the ship arrived in England. It looked just as beautiful as Henriette had imagined it would be, but it was just as William had distributed it: cold, wet, and grey. It would not be the same without him there with her.

After they walked off the ship and onto the docks, Cornwallis turned to Henriette and said, "This is where I leave you, my dear. I wish you the best of luck." Henriette said nothing to him, but kissed his hand, as a sign of respect and gratitude. She turned around and walked away from General Cornwallis, never to hear from him again.

For weeks, Henriette wondered the streets of England, living the life of a beggar woman. Endless nights, she had to sell her body just to survive. She had become a loose women, just as the old bat had predicted. By the winter of 1783, Henriette's health and appearance had taken a turn for the worse. All the color seemed to disappear from her cheeks. She looked haggard and her dark green dress had been reduced to nothing but rags. She had become an empty shell of the bright soul she once was.

On the night of December 27, 1783, Henriette found her way to the Tavington manor. It had been abandoned for fifteen years. Henriette opened the gate and walked to the back of the mansion. A thick blanket of snow covered the once lush and prosperous garden. All that remained was a single black rose, dead from winter's touch. Henriette plucked the rose from the thorn bushes, not caring if she pricked her fingers trying to retrieve it. Although her hands were bloody, only a single drop fell into the snow. She walked over to a dead and leafless tree and lied under it, holding the rose close to her chest. As the snow started falling, Henriette began crying softly. Alone. Begging for her lover to return.

Henriette shivered when she felt a soft hand brush their fingers against her cold face. She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to the right. She looked up to see who it was. At first, Henriette thought she was dreaming, for the person looking down at her was none other than her beloved William. His hair was loose and his white shirt gave her a peek at his manly chest. He looked just as handsome as ever. Henriette could not believe her eyes. William smiled warmly at her and kneeled down. He moved a strand of hair out of her face and caressed her right cheek with the back of his left hand. Henriette instantly felt her skin become fuller again. The color also returned to her cheeks. William offered his left hand to Henriette, hoping she would take it and join him in the afterlife. Although she was afraid of death, Henriette knew she would be safe as long as William was there with her. He would take her away from her life of misery and into paradise, where she would feel no pain. Henriette gave William her right hand and he took her other hand into his right. He gently ran his thumbs across her bloodied fingers, healing her of her wounds. As William helped her to her feet, Henriette felt her spirit leaving her body. And so she left with him, their souls forever reunited in Heaven.


End file.
